Synergy is the creation of a whole that is greater than the simple sum of its parts. It is something that can help football teams achieve way beyond what people would expect. In the 1980-81 season Aston Villa broke Liverpool’s stranglehold on English football by winning the First Division. Villa had finished seventh in the […]
“There’s signs it’s coming together, then it’s maybe one step forward and two steps back.” Gary Caldwell was right about that. In reality Latics were lucky to scrape a point out of a game that Doncaster dominated, even if they were denied what Caldwell called a “stonewall” penalty in the final minute of the match. […]
Two defeats in the first two games have tested the resolve of the long-suffering Wigan Athletic following. Defeat is something that supporters had to learn to live with last year, when team lost 25 of the 46 league matches they played. Just a week ago there was an almost tangible wave of optimism as fans […]
He’s a big, strong boy who is also quick. He is different to what we’ve got and he’ll certainly cause defences some problems.” The words of Mickey Adams, who certainly had some belief in Craig Davies as a footballer. He had signed the big man for Brighton in February 2009. Some 11 months later, after […]
A bad start to the season is not uncommon for Wigan Athletic. The beginning of the 2011-12 season was no exception. A 3-1 home loss to Wolves in early November was their eighth consecutive defeat and Roberto Martinez clearly had to look at changing something. The changes he made took some time to take effect, […]
My aim as I set off on the Scottish leg of Latics’ preseason tour was to produce two mach reports, one per game very much in the mould of my normal match reports. However as the games unfolded with multiple changes, loanees and trialists, it became apparent that a road trip blog would probably reflect […]
What an enjoyable night it was at Firhill. The pleasant and friendly atmosphere at the stadium was lifted even further by a bright performance from a young Latics team. They played not only with organisation and enterprise, but with no mean level of skill. The last time I went to watch a football match in […]
Wigan Athletic have announced the signing of 24 year old central striker Will Grigg from Brentford. The 5 ft 11 in tall Grigg was born in Solihull and progressed through the Birmingham City youth system. At the age of 17 he joined Walsall where he was to spend five seasons. scoring 27 goals in 99 […]
“He wants us to train hard and well in order to be ready to take that onto the pitch in matches. Clubs I’ve been at before haven’t got the footballs out so quickly and there has been lots of running but I’ve enjoyed the balance this year and it’s been really beneficial because you get […]
“You can mark down 25 June 1978 as the day Scottish football conquers the world.” It was Ally MacLeod’s most famous quote. The date was that of the World Cup Final in Buenos Aires. MacLeod was nothing if not optimistic. After successful stints at Ayr United and Aberdeen he was appointed Scotland manager in May […]